Magnetic-field-induced metallic state in β-US₂

β-US₂ with the orthorhombic structure is an interesting compound of which the electrical property is changed from a metallic state to an insulating state at temperatures lower than 80 K. To clarify the present metal-insulator change, we carried out the magnetization and magnetoresistance measurements in magnetic fields up to 50 T. The magentization at 4.2 K saturates above 40 T, reaching 1.75 μ_B/U at 50 T for the magnetic field along the magentic easy-axis, namely the [001] direction. The corresponding electrical resistivity at 4.2 K is steeply reduced in magnitude from 1 × 10³ Ω·cm to 2 × 10^-2 Ω·cm at 50 T only when the magnetic field is applied along the [001] direction. The temperature dependence of the electrical resistivity at 50 T indicates a usual metallic behaviour. The conduction electrons are most likely released from the trapped U-sites when the 5f-CEF magnetic moments are fully polarized in high magnetic field of 50 T. The present experimental results are discussed from the viewpoint of the magnetic polaron.